Orchard-heater.



'E. W. DUNN.

ORCHARD HEATER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15. was.

1 ,270,7 1 2 Patented J mm 25, I918.

' A Emamz'el Wjur zn er 1 r EN- FFICE.

OItCI-IABID-HEATER.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1918.

Original application med September 9, 1912 Serial No. 719,291. Divided and this application filed December 15, line. Serial No. 806,782.

7 all whom. it may concern -Be it known that I, EMANUEL W. DUNN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda anda tltato of Californiayhave invented new and useful Improvements in Orchard-Heaters, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to open air heaters particularly adapted for heating a locality or zone to prevent. damage of fruit and the like by frost and freezing, although the invention is capable of other uses without ma terial change. And, more particularly, this invention relates to a heater ot' the class described containing its own fuelreservoir for holding a sufficient supply of liquid fuel for a suitable period of operation.

'It is one of the prime and underlying ob- 'jects of my present invention to supply, in

such a heater as set forth, a. simple and ellh cient air feed which is capable of supplying the liquid fuel with all the air necessary for complete and thorough combustion at any desired rate, and in such manner as to cause the complete combustion of all of the fuel. By efficiently supplying air for combustion I provide that there shall be no liquid matter left unconsumed, either exterior to or inle- 'rior of the heater. It has been shown to he of great advantage to provide for perfect and sullicient combustion in orderlto prevent the deposition of oily soot and similar solid carbon and oil particles on the fruit which is being protected; and it also works greatly for eiliciency to consume these elements of fuel combustion, the combustion thereof adding greatly to the heat of the flame and to the heat deliverable to the surrounding locality.

.Iy invention provides primarily an air feed leading from the top-of the fuel re-- ceptacle or reservoir downwardly into the receptacle and discharging above the surface of the liquid fuel therein. This all feed may be accomplished in many different manners, all having in common the general principle of a downward air blast.v l have provided various devices for controlling the volume ofair drawn into the heater and for controlling the draft through the combustion opening or flue. These and other various particulars of my invention will he explained in the following specification.

With a heater as above outlined I am on abled to deliver a large volume of ligat units which spread over the surrounding locality, heating the atmosphere therein andprcventing frost by primarily preventing the lowering of temperature in the a lfected zone. The heated gases of combustion carry very little or no solid matter which will deposit on the fruit and on other adjacent objects.

I will now proceed to a detailed explanation of my improved l1eater,'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figurel is a vertical cross section of the invention in its simplest form.

Figs. 2, 3, L and 5 are vertical sections illustrating modifications of the invention.

Fig. (i is a plan view showing the form of controlling means for the inwardly flowing an.

Referring now particularly to the drawings, my device consists essentially of a number .21. and an air inlet or inlets indiouted generally by the numeral 29.. In each 'of'the l'orms shown in the drawings it will be noted that the combustion inlets are of such arrangement and design that the inward flow of air formed into a downward blast or current which delivers over the surface of tho liquid fuel within the reservoir, and that the variations within the forms shown in the drawings are mere variations of different means for effecting this particular result. ln some forms I may use a tube or tubes, which in effect merely extend the opening downwardly toward the surface of the liquid. In some forms these tubes may be :imperforate and there may be a number of tubes of various lengths, so that, no matter at what level the liquid within the reservoir may be, there will always be'some tube or tubes discharging air downwardly onto the surface of the liquid.

In others these air inlet tubes may be per- 1 toratcd. as will be hereinafter deseribed'in detail, and the air will then escape through said perforations directly above the surface of the liquid. In either form I provide for graduated distribution of the air for com- 'hustion, directly above the liquid surface;

and I also provide suitable means for regulating the inflow of air so to thereby Refilllate the capacity and volume of flame issumg from the heater. It will also be noted that l havesh'own various forms of combusioo e tiudihey be provided with perforations;

till

end the combustion flue may further be provided with e damper through which the volume end intensity of fizune may be regu isted. The combination of the. air feed control end the damper control also affords means for regulating to a nicety the proportional supply of air for any given grade of fuel so that the combustion may be regulated to be complete and thorough to consume every particle of fuel within the reservoir sod to obtain therefrom every available heel; unit. 3

'Il't is oneof chief advantages of my lresent construction that 1 cm enabled is consume all of the fuel within the reservoir, even consuming the heavy liquid matter of low grcde'erude oil which would otherwisev be deposited in the bottom of the receptacle and there be sticky and dixlicult to remove. This feature is on important one, and one of which I will speak more fully hereinafter. listening particularly to Fig. l, I will first explain one form of my heater, whence the other forms will be readily intelligible with short explanations of their dificrent variations from the form first explained.

The air inlet 22' is continued downwardly from. the cover 27 by a suitable tube 23, pro vided with. openings or perforations 24:, through which air is distributed over the surztecc'of the liquid fuel 25; the combined cross of the perforations 2 1- being' preferebly not more; than the cross sectional ores of the tube 23 in order that air will bedrcwn to the bottom of the tube when the surface of the liquid fuel in the reservoir is low and when perfect combustion at the surface of the fuel is more particularly desired to corn some the heavier poi icles of fuel. It can be readily so that this provides for a dmvnwurdly directed blast of air delivered directly to the surface of the fuel, thereby ln'onlotiiur con'ibustion at the surfacioi the "fuel of the highest eflicicncy.

The Home and gases of combustion puss uynvordl y through combustion outlet 21 which is c'ontimied upweirdly by a suitable combustion and draft flue or steel: 26.

in Fig". 2 l. have shown modified form of my improved. device. similar to that shown in Fig. l. and diil'ering from it only in that the uir inlet and combustion outlet are at the sides instead of through the cover of the reservoir. In Fig. I have ill ustrnted o. form in which the reservoir 20 is provided with u removable cover 27. The inlet and outlet fines may be mounted on the cover 2?, but I have shown the covjer being in an ungicrforeted piece, and have shown the in-' lot and outlet lines as being mounted on the receptacle itself. Theoutlet fine 26 may emerge from the upper portion of the side of the reservoir beneath the cover. The inlet flue 23 may be constructed with s hood, as shown, so as to be water and rain proof. The advantage of this. construction is that the cover has no openings or apertures. through which Water may gain access to the reservoir. i

In Fig. 3 is shown another modification of nly device. In this form I have designated the receptacle by the numeral 20", the air inlets or inlet by the numeral 22*, and the combustion outlet by the numeral 21". In this form the inlet devices are formed by a Series of opei'iings 22" in the upper portion of the cover 2? Some of the openings22" are shown extending, only through the cover 27 of the receptacle, while I have shown other of these openings as being extended downwardly into the receptacle by means of tubes 23". Tubes 23" may be in groups of dillerent lengths and each group may be arranged about the vertical axis of the receptacle. The tubes are preferably of difierent lengths, so that there will always be one or more of thetubes feeding air directly to the surface of the liquid fuel 25. As the fuel is consumed and the surface rolls, the lower discharge ends oi the tubes 23* are uncovered, and the incoming air is then fed through the longest uncovered tube directly to the surface of the liquid fuel. This provides u downwardly directed blast of air delivered directly to the surface of the fuel, thereby promoting ellicient combustion.

The flame and gases of combustion pass up wordly and outwardly through combustion outletQl".

111 Fig. 3 the combustion outlet is shown confined within a suitable collar 30 within the combustion flue 26. Collar 30 may be provided with perforations or apertures 31, but this is not essential to the elliciency ol the heater. The burning gases pass upwardly through the opening 2l u-ud through the collar 30, and thence upwardly througl'i H e stock 26" and out through the damper controlled to The damper controlled top of the stock 26" may be comprised in nu apcrtured cup 33, sunnountod by a damper member 34,.huviug similar corrospending; apertures which are :uluptod to either register with the apertures in the cup or to be turned so as to shut oil these,

heated gases of combustion delivered may be regulated. by varying the size of the openings in the top of the combustion flue 26".

T e combustion may be controlled by suitab e dampers 40", over the air inlets, to control the admission of air and the amount of -vapor generated.

I have shown in Fig. i a form in which the air inlets around and in the base of the stack 26, are controlled by a sliding damper or shutter 41, with holes 42 adapted to register with the apertures 35". The admission of auxiliary air to the stack to regulate combustion maybe thus controlled. ihe air inlet openings 22 in the cover may be controlled individually, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6, or they may be controlled by a ring damper it), having holes 23 to register with the openings 22. in any case the flow of air to the fuel through the inlet openings 23 in the cover may be regulated so that any desired degree of richness of gas is picked up from the fuel and carried into the coinbustion stack, while the amount of nuxiliary air to the combustion chamber in the stack may be regulated to produce eilicicnt and of receptacle or reservoir.

complete combustion of the gases.

In Fig.5 I have illustrated a similar form in which I have shown an imperforatc tube 25 discharging air out of its lower end only.

By properly proportioniiwthe air inlet and the combustion outlet and the size of the reservoir, it is possible to make a device of this character which will burn a fuel of a certain gravity in certain quantities per hour. Thus. the device may be properly proportioned to cause three gallons of. say, 28 gravity distillate to burn for a certain number of hours. This would be true of the device in its simplest form. By the addition of damper regulators to the inlet and outlet the device may be shited to oils of different gravities. Another feature which I may mention is the adaptability of my device to any kind it is greatly commercially desirable that my device be capable of use with receptacles or pots which may be possessedlhy the users of my apparatus. It will be seen that, all of the fines and tubes being made on the cover of my device, the cover may be made to fit upon a receptacle of any character and configuration,

thereby transforming that old device of which the receptacle forms a part into my new improved heater. y

This application is a division of my origirial application Serial Number 719,291, filed September 9, 1912.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is 1. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle having a cover and provided with a combustion opening, means for taking air 'cle and at progressively respect to said combustion opening.

directly from the atmosphere and discharging the same outwardly within the receptadifl'ercnt levels as the fuel is consumed.

5?. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle having a combustion opening at the top thereof. and means for directing atmospheric air downwardly into said rcceptacle from a zone above said top to progressively different levels within the receptacle and at points eccentrically positioned with .3. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle having a cover and an opening in the cover, means for directing atmospheric air through the cover intothc receptacle to the surface of the oil therein, and a'stack extending upward from said cover-and communicating with said opening, said stack havin a plurality of circumferentially arranged erforations positioned in a plane wholly a )ove the cover and directly open to the surrounding atmosphere.

4. An, orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle having a cover provided with a combustion opening therein, means for taking air directly from the atmosphere and discharging the same outwardly within the. receptacle and at prturressively different levels as the fuel is consumed, and a stack extending upward from said cover and cone municating with said combustion opening, said stack having a plurality of circumfercntial perforations positioned in a plane above the cover und directly open to the atmosphere.

5. An orchard heater comprising a closed fuel receptacle having an upper combustion opening, a. stack extending upward from said opening and provided with perforations. open to the auxiliary air. and a draft inlet tube having its'upper end also open to the atmosphere and extending downward into the receptacle, said draft tube having means whereby the air as it is admitted may be delivered at progressively dili'erent levels as the fuel is consumed.

6. An orchard heater comprising a closed fuel receptacle having an upper combustion opening, a stack extending upward from said opening and provided with perfcn-ations open to the atmosphere for the admission of auxiliary air, and a draft inlet tube having its upper end open to the atmosphere and extending downward into the receptacle being atmosphere for the admission of provided with vertically spaced perforations draft inlet tube extending inward into the fit, nanomethe atmosphere, beingprovidcd with moons whereb v the air admitted may be i'lclivered at progressively lower levels as the fuel. within. the receptacle is consumed.

8. An orchard heater comprising 2t receptacle provided With a removable cover, a

stack attached. to said cover through "which the products of, con'iloustion. are conducted, and a, draft inlet tube depending from said cover and suspended Within the receptacle, said cluft inlet tube having means whereby the air admitted to the receptacle may be delivered at progressively lower levels 15 the fuel. is consumed.

'9. An orchard heater con'iprisinp, a closed receptacle, e stuck extending from the top of said receptacle through which the products of combustion are conducted, and; a draft inlet tube extending inward into the receptacle, said draft inlet tube being provided with means whereby the air admitted may be delivered at progressively lower levels as the fuel. Within the receptacle is consumed, and means for control ling the volnine of air enteringsaid draft inlet tuber 10. The cmnbinetion in an orchard heater of at liquid containing receptacle having :1 cover. said cover lowing 2i stile; and en fill tube supported in the receptacle above the liquid body and having an inlet conununifit outing with the atmosphere and constructed 'mulurmuged to direct a down-limit onto and overtlie fuel level z pprot'iruute ,to the zone of combustion, said. air tube being to one side of the stock. w

ii. The combination in on orchard heater of a liquid containing receptacle having a cover. said cover having a stack and an air tube supported in the i'e(-e i'=icle above the liquid body and lull-lug an inlet coziiniuniouting with the atmosphere and constructed and arranged to direct or down-draft onto and over the fuel level approximate to the zone of combustion, said air tube being to one side of the stack, said tube having per forutions throughout its length whereby the air is admitted to the immediate surface of the .luel as the latter recedes.

12. The combination in on orchard heater of e liquid containing receptacle having at sloping cover, said cover having a steel; and. an air tube supported in the receptacle above the liquid body and having an inlet coniiuunicntiug' \vitlrthe atmosphere above the liquid body and having unoutlet to the in; mospliere and constructed and arranged to direct a down-draft onto and over the fuel level approximate to the zone of combustion, stock, said tube having means in its length whereby the air admitted through the tube is delivered to the surface of the fuel irrespective of the level of the letter.

13, An orchard heater, coi'nprising at liquid fuel receptacle, a, closure cover there for provided. with :r ciuubustion opening, 2'

draft stuck extended outwardly therefrom,

and air inlet moons independent of @he stack" extemled downwardly from the cover and into the fuel receptacle, said n'ieens open to the atmosphere and arranged and constructed to diri'act 11 downdraft onto and over tile fuel level within. the fuel receptacle and approximate to the zone of con1- bustion end at progressively lower levels as the feel is consumed.

ll. An orchard heater, comprising a liquid fuel holding receptacle having a, cover pizovided with e combustion outlet, e perforated draft stack projected from said cove" and embracing the combination outlet thereof, and means independent oi? the stock extended within the fuel holding receptacle for supplying-nilthereto, said means being open. to the atmosphere and so arranged relative to the receptacle as to discharge air onto the liquid ep iroxiinatc the zone of coinbustioiu and at progressively lower levels as the fuel is consumed. v

Ari orchard heater, the some comprising a. li uid fuel holding receptacle having c cove-r proride-d with n combustion outlet, :1 draft stool; upwardly yrojectecl from the ion outlet of the cover, and means independent oil "the stack for admitting air. within the holding receptaclesuid means bring open to the atmosphere and provided with u plurality of outlets for the dis charge of a into the receptacle and onto the liquid therein e fi iroximate the zone of com bustiou and at progressively lower lBVGlS QS the fuel is consumed.

16. 1.11 orchard. heater comprising an oil on said. cover through which the products of combustion are conducted, and a perforated draft-inlet tube mounted in said cover and suspended Within said receptacle, the perforations of said tube being distributedtlirougliout the length of the letter whereby they are successively uncovered as the fuel is consumed for increasing the volume of air admitted "to the receptacle.

17. An orchard heater comprising an oil receptacle, a cover therefor, a stack mounted on said cover through which the products oi? combustion are conducted, and a per fOl'iiIOli draft-inlet tube mounted in said cover at :1 point laterally of said stuck and suspended within said receptacle, the per iomtions of said tube being so distributed.

throughout its length that; en (weuiucrcusof conilfntilm. are conducted, and a. en

forated draft-inlet tube removably mounted in said cover at a point laterally of said stack and suspended Within said fceptacle, the perforations being so distributed throughout the length of said tube that an ever-increasing volume of air is admitted to the receptacle asthe level of the oil is low,- ered, and controllable means for regulating thlr; draft through the upper end of said tu e.

19. In an orchard heater, the combination' having a cover with a liquid fuel container with a stack through which products of combustion are permltted to escape, of means for gradually increasing the air suppl to the container as the level of said fuel is lowered, said means comprising a perforated draft tube projected through said cover and depending within the container to a point adjacent to the bottom of the latter, the perforations being distributed throughout substantially the entire length of said tube.

20. In an orchard heater, the combination with a {liquid fuel container having a cover with a stack through which products of comhustit'a 'are permitted to escape, of a drafttubel d eated within said container at a point laterally er said stack and communicating with theatinosphere through said cover, said tube having openings therein through which air is admitted to the container in increasing volume as the level of the fuel is lowered.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

E met w. DUNN.

Witnesses i I JOHN W. Hmmme, W. W.'HEALEY. 

